WES MOORE, Governor Ch. 1
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Chapter 1
(House Bill 502)
AN ACT concerning
Office of Disability Employment Advancement and Policy and Maryland as a
Model Employer Initiative – Established
FOR the purpose of establishing the Office of Disability Employment Advancement and
Policy within the Department of Disabilities; establishing the Maryland as a Model
Employer Initiative within the Office of Disability Employment Advancement and
Policy to facilitate efforts that improve outcomes in the hiring, recruitment,
retention, and advancement of people with disabilities in the State government
workforce; and generally relating to the establishment of the Office of Disability
Employment Advancement and Policy and the Maryland as a Model Employer
Initiative.
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article – Human Services
Section 7–114(b)
Annotated Code of Maryland
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement)
BY adding to
Article – Human Services
Section 7–1201 through 7–1205 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 12. Office of
Disability Employment Advancement and Policy”
Annotated Code of Maryland
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement)
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GEN ERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND,
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:
Article – Human Services
7–114.
(b) The Department shall oversee and administer the following programs and
units:
(1) constituent services and ombudsmen programs;
(2) the Assistive Technology Guaranteed Loan Program under Subtitle 6
of this title;
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(3) the Office of Personal Assistance Services, including the Attendant
Care Program under Subtitle 4 of this title;
(4) Telecommunications Access of Maryland under Subtitle 8 of this title;
[and]
(5) Telecommunications Devices and Distribution of Accessible
Information for Disabled Individuals under Subtitle 9 of this title; AND
(6) THE OFFICE OF DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT ADVANCEMENT AND
POLICY.
SUBTITLE 12. OFFICE OF DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT ADVANCEMENT AND POLICY.
7–1201.
(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS
INDICATED.
(B) “DEPARTMENT ” MEANS THE DEPARTMENT OF DISABILITIES.
(C) “INITIATIVE” MEANS THE MARYLAND AS A MODEL EMPLOYER
INITIATIVE.
(D) “OFFICE” MEANS THE OFFICE OF DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT
ADVANCEMENT AND POLICY.
(E) “SECRETARY” MEANS THE SECRETARY OF DISABILITIES.
7–1202.
(A) THERE IS AN OFFICE OF DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT ADVANCEMENT
AND POLICY WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT .
(B) THE PURPOSE OF THE OFFICE INCLUDES :
(1) THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF ST RATEGIES IN
THE STATE DISABILITIES PLAN, ESTABLISHED UNDER § 7–132 OF THIS TITLE,
RELATING TO THE EMPL OYMENT, TRAINING, AND CAREER –READINESS OF
INDIVIDUALS WITH DIS ABILITIES;
(2) PERFORMING DUTIES UN DER § 7–114 OF THIS TITLE NECESS ARY
TO SUPPORT STATEWIDE POLICIES AND STANDAR DS RELATING TO THE WES MOORE, Governor Ch. 1
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EMPLOYMENT , TRAINING, AND CAREER –READINESS OF INDIVID UALS WITH
DISABILITIES;
(3) COLLECTING INFORMATI ON AND DATA FROM UNI TS OF STATE
GOVERNMENT RELATING TO THE EMPLOYMENT , TRAINING, AND
CAREER–READINESS OF INDIVID UALS WITH DISABILITI ES, IN ACCORDANCE WITH §
7–115 OF THIS TITLE; AND
(4) IMPLEMENTING THE MARYLAND AS A MODEL EMPLOYER
INITIATIVE, ESTABLISHED UNDER § 7–1205 OF THIS SUBTITLE.
(C) BEGINNING IN FISCAL Y EAR 2027, THE GOVERNOR MAY INCLUDE IN THE
ANNUAL BUDGET BILL A N APPROPRIATION OF $250,000 FOR THE OFFICE.
7–1203.
THE SECRETARY MAY ADOPT R EGULATIONS AS NECESS ARY TO CARRY OUT
THE PROVISIONS OF TH IS SUBTITLE.
7–1204.
THIS SUBTITLE MAY NOT BE CONSTRUED TO ESTA BLISH AN ENTITLEMENT
PROGRAM.
7–1205.
(A) BEGINNING JULY 1, 2026, THE OFFICE SHALL BE RESPO NSIBLE FOR
IMPLEMENTATION AND O VERSIGHT OF THE MARYLAND AS A MODEL EMPLOYER
INITIATIVE.
(B) THE PURPOSE OF THE INITIATIVE SHALL INCL UDE:
(1) PROMOTING THE RECRUI TMENT, HIRING, RETENTION, AND
CAREER ADVANCEMENT O F PEOPLE WITH DISABI LITIES ACROSS STATE
GOVERNMENT ;
(2) CONDUCTING AND COORD INATING OUTREACH TO JOB SEEKERS
WITH DISABILITIES AN D STATE GOVERNM ENT TO ENCOURAGE PAR TICIPATION IN
THE INITIATIVE;
(3) DEVELOPING AND DELIV ERING TRAININGS TO STATE AGENCIES
AND UNITS ADDRESSING BEST PRACTICES , RESOURCES, AND RELEVANT FEDERAL
AND STATE LAWS PERTAINING TO THE EMPLOYMENT OF PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES; Ch. 1 2025 LAWS OF MARYLAND
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(4) ASSISTING STATE GOVERNMENT AGEN CIES AND UNITS TO
ATTRACT QUALIFIED JO B SEEKERS WITH DISAB ILITIES TO AVAILABLE POSITIONS;
(5) PROMOTING ACCESS TO AND ACQUISITION OF A SSISTIVE
TECHNOLOGY FOR NEW STATE EMPLOYEES WITH DISABILITIES;
(6) EVALUATING STATE EMPLOYMENT PRAC TICES AND POLICIES A ND
MAKING RECOMMENDATIO NS REGARDING WAYS TO REDUCE BARRIERS FOR JOB
SEEKERS AND EMPLOYEE S WITH DISABILITIES;
(7) COLLECTING FROM EACH UNIT OF STATE GOVERNMENT , AS PART
OF THE PLANS REQUIRE D UNDER § 7–116 OF THIS TITLE, PERFORMANCE GOALS
RELATED TO HIRING AN D RETENTION EFFORTS FOR EMPLOYEES WITH D ISABILITIES
AND ANY DATA DEEMED NECESSARY BY THE SECRETARY TO DEMONSTR ATE
PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES ; AND
(8) REPORTING ON THE INITIATIVE’S OUTCOMES IN COMPLI ANCE
WITH SUBSEC TION (C) OF THIS SECTION.
(C) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1, 2026, AND EACH DECEMBER 1
THEREAFTER , THE OFFICE SHALL REPORT T O THE GOVERNOR AND THE GENERAL
ASSEMBLY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE,
ON:
(1) PROGRESS AND OUTCOME S OF THE INITIATIVE; AND
(2) RECOMMENDATIONS DEVE LOPED BY THE INITIATIVE FOR
CONTINUED IMPROVEMEN T OF STATE GOVERNMENT EMPL OYMENT PRACTICES FOR
PEOPLE WITH DISABILI TIES.
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July
1, 2025.
Approved by the Governor, April 8, 2025.